I have a working Cowl Induction hood off of a parts car that I want to clean up and repaint for my '72. The problem is that over the years, I assume from being opened and closed against the pressure of the springs, the hood has developed an upward bow in the middle. This damage was clearly not caused by an impact. If you stand on either side of the car you can see the middle of the hood sits higher than the fenders by as much as a 1/4 of an inch.

Further inspection reveals that the framework under the hood has small stress cracks starting at openings in the frame about a third of the way back from the nose of the hood. I assume that these are a type of "crush zone" that is designed to compromise in an impact and fold the hood like a newer car.

There is no distinct crease. I need to know if this is something I can straighten and press back into shape. Then I am thinking I can weld up the cracks. Any ideas on how to proceed?

The car is a weekend driver. It does not have to be flawless but the car is solid and clean overall. I would like to avoid buying a repro hood at this point as there are other areas where I would like to invest the money in the car. I am guesing the cost of having a shop do the work would also exceed the amount of a repro hood as well as potentially not look as good.

I would replace the hood. Fixing damage like that is very hard and most often then not worth the price of a new hood. Goodmarks go for around 300 bucks and from what I hear they are great. Myself being a bodyman wouldnt fix that hood for 300 bucks...Eric

This will sound crude but it worked for me. When I bought my '69, the hood had a slight bow up about 1/4" above the fender like yours on the driver's side. When doing body work, I put it on the garage floor with the corners on carpet over 2"x4" blocks. At the area I wanted down 1/4" I built up wood blocking under it so the hood couldn't depress more than about 1/2" (so it could go down about 1/2" and spring back up some). I put padding on the hood and stood on it directly over the underside bracing along the edge. I then "jumped" up and down lightly without my bare feet leaving the padding. After doing that and checking, then "jumping" some more, I got it where I wanted it. The key is having a "limiter" under the hood so it doesn't depress too far and get kinked the other way.

Thanks Von, that seems like a good idea. I will give it a try. I am not looking for a show car finish right now. Hopefully I can get it close and paint it to match. I plan on repainting the entire car in a couple of years. At that point, if the repair is not up to par with the rest of the car a repro hood will e a good option.

Worst case, I further damage the hood I have and get a repro anyway. I really have nothing to loose.

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